Computing apparatus



July 29,1941. c. s. HAZARD Re. 21,867

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Reissued July 29, 1941 UNITED STATE s PATEN T oFFlcs coMrU'r NG APPARATUS Charles S. Hazard, Andover, N. J., assignor to Neptune Meter Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New Jersey Original No. 2,095,329, dated October 12, 1937, Serial No. 51,729, November 27,1935, which is a division of Serial No. 23,148, May 24, 1935, now Patent No. 2,069,184, dated January 26, 1937.

Application for reissue 6 Claims.

. there is exhibited to the'customer not only the number of gallons delivered, but the price pergallon and the cost to the customer of the quantity delivered. The invention is particularly concerned with means for resetting to zero the cash indicator device which is incorporated in the apparatus; and with means to prevent improper operation of the volume indicator. The construction is such as to permit ready adjustment of the apparatus in accordance with variations in unit prices and provision is made whereby totals are registered as usual for the benefit of the seller.

Other features and advantages of the invention comprise the provision of transfer mechanism on a shaft separate from the shaft supporting the counter wheels and interconnecting lower and higher order wheels having a releasable connection for permitting independent movement of the wheels during resetting operation; the provision of pick-up means for returning the wheels to zero position during resetting opera tion; and the arrangement of two oppositely opposed sets of counter wheels with mechanism interposed betweenthe two sets for driving the corresponding wheels during counting and resetting operations.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which an exempliflcation of the invention is illustrated, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of an auparatus in which the invention is incorporated, a meter of known type being also shown.

Figure 2 is a view of the same, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, with the dial plate removed.

Figure 3 is a view in sectional elevation .on the plane indicated by the broken line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the apparatus as seen from the opposite side, showing a sale indicator and a totalizer for the convenience of the seller.

Figure 5 'is a, view in horizontal section on the plane indicated by the broken line 5-5 of Figure 3.

October 11, 1939, Serial mFigure 6 is an enlarged sectional'detail view of I some parts shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail view in section on the plane indicated by the line '|-'I of Figure 6, partly broken away.

7 Figure 8 is a detail view in section on the plane indicated by the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a detail view in perspective of the Geneva movement shown in part in Figures 6 and '7. a

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail view in section on the line I 0lii of Figure 5.

Figure 11 is a development of the gears shown in Figure 10, and

Figure 12 is a detail view in perspective of devices shown in partin Figure 2 to prevent resetting of the gallon indicator before the amount indicator is reset.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated a meter. of the type often used in connection with gasoline dispensing apparatus, is shownv at M. The gasoline indicating device and the sale price indicatingv device are actuated from the meter through independent trains of gearing. shown in Figures 1 and 2, a gear I on the meter spindle meshes on one side with a gear 2,-which, through a shaft 2*, gears 3, 4', worm 5 on shaft 4, and worm gear 6, frictionally mounted on shaft 1, actuates the unit indicating hands I, which sweep over the dials at the front and the rear sides of the apparatus. The secondary indic ating hands ii, mounted loosely on the shaft I,

are driven therefrom through'gears l0, Ii and i! as usual and as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The gallonage totalizer, which is sufliciently indicated at l3 in Figure 3, is driven through a worm H on the shaft 4, a worm gear is, and a worm ii on the shaft i5, and a worm gear li on the shaft of the totalizer.

The gear I also meshes with a gear i8, which,

through its shaft l8, gears. i9, 20, shaft and gears 2| and 2!, drives shaft 23. In the embodiment of the invention shown, one of the change gears 24, 25, both of which are carried by a removable price tag .25 (which in this case shows cents), engages a socket on the shaft 23. The other change gear similarly engages a socket on a shaft 21. It .will be understood that each price. tag 26 carries a diiferent pair of gears to correspond to the integral portion of each price per gallon within the working range. The shaft 21 carries a gear 28, shown in Figure 3 and in detail in Figure 10, formed with internally cut teeth which engage the teeth of a gear 29 on a shaft 28, which carries a gear 30 (see Figures which, through a shaft 32*, drives a continuous totalizer for dollars and cents which may be of usual construction and is sufficiently represented at 33 in Figures 3 and 5. The ratioof the gears 24 and 25 determines the ratio between the revolution of the meter and the revolution of the cash totalizer 33. It will be understood that the term change gear" is employed for convenience and is not-to be regarded as excluding any other arrangement which functions in like manner.

Other price tags 34, each bearing an indication of a fractional part of a cent, are provided for the purpose of effectingproper actuation of the totalizer. .For this purpose a gear 35 (see Figure 2) on the shaft 23, through suitable reduction gearing 38, 35*, drives shaft 31 engaged through a socket at its end by a change gear 34" on the price tag 34. The other change gear 3 4 meshes with the change gear 34* and drives shaft 38 on which ismounted an eccentric 38. The eccentric engages and oscillates a lever 48 in such manner as to cause the pinion 29, carried by the lever, to move in a circle, the lever 48 being engaged at its center by a short link 4| pivoted at a fixed'point, so that the free end of the lever and the pinion carried thereby shall have an approximately circular motion. The teeth of the pinion 23 being always in engage ment with the teeth of the internal gear 28 each oscillation of the lever 48 causes the gears 28 and 38, both carried by the shaft 28, to

gain or lose a certain number ofteeth with respect to the rotation of the shaft 21 from which the internal gear 28 receives motion. It will be understood that gain or loss is determined by the relative direction 'of rotation of the shafts 23 and 31. As the rotation thus imparted to gears 29 and 30, by reason of the oscillation, of lever 48, is independent of rotation of the shaft 21, the effect is to add to or subtract from the rotation of shaft 21 an increment or decrement determined by the ratio of the change gears 34 and 34 the relative direction of rotation of the shafts 23 and 31 determining, as above pointed out, whether the effect is an incremen or a decrement.

For the operation of thesale amount indicating device a gear 3|, which is engaged and driven by the gear 38, is fixed to a shaft 42, shown in Figures 3, and 11, upon which is mounted frictionally a gear 43. The latter, as shown in Figure 6, engages and drives a gear 45 which is 'fix'ed on the shaft 58 to which is also fixed a gear 48, which, through gears 41 and 48, drives the rear units numeral wheel 43. Gear 45 has secured to it the teeth 45 of a Geneva movement, which, in the rotation of the gear 45, engage and actuate a mutilated pinion 45 The latter engages and 'actuates a gear 5 I which is frictionally mounted on a hub 5| on the shaft 58. Gear 52, fixed to the hub 5|, drives the tens numeral wheel 54, both at the front of the apparatus and at the back thereof, through idler gears 58. The hundreds numeral wheel 55 is similarly driven through a Geneva movement actuated by the gear 52.

The resetting of the sale amount indicating device is accomplished by a hand crank 58 on a shaft 51 to which is fixed a gear 58. The latter meshes with the first of a train of gears 58, 58 and 58 mounted on a swinging frame 58*,

which is pivoted on the axis 'of the first gear 58. The resistance offered by the friction imposed on gear 58 by fiat spring 58 is such that 3 and 5). The latter meshes with 'a gear 32- the movement first imparted to the gear 58 causes the frame 58 to swing on its axis and to move the gear 58 into mesh with the gear '58, which is fixed to the gear 45 above mentioned. Continued rotation of the gear 58 and the gear '45 then resets the unit wheels 44 and 48. In the 'the Geneva movement, similarly picks up and resets the mechanism which drives the hundreds wheel 55. When all of the wheels of both sets of number wheels (on the front of the apparatus and on the back of the apparatus) have reached the zero position a tooth 82 on the periphery of plate 82 fixed to the hub of the mechanism which drives the hundreds wheel 55 is engaged by pawl 83 mounted on the frame work and all of the wheels are brought to rest at zero.

For the resetting of the gallon indicator reverse rotation of the shaft. 51 by the crank 58 acts through gears 84, 85,. shaft 85 and gear 88 and a train of gears 88, 88 and 88 carried by a frame 88 mounted to swing on the shaft which carries the first wheel of the series. The first movement of the resetting shaft causes the last gear 88 of the series to be moved into engagement with the gear 81 on the shaft 1 which carries the gallon indicating hands 8 and 8 and continuedmovement resets'both hands 8 and 8 to the zero position, worm gear 8 slipping on its friction mounting.

Because the gallon indication is more prominent than the sale amount indication, it is desirable that the sale amount indicating device be reset first and the gallon indicating. device thereafter. This will prevent the operator from inadvertently leaving a reading on the sale amount indicator after the gallon hand has been returned to 'zero. There is therefore provided interlocking mechanism which prevents engagement of the gear 88 with the gear 81, except when all of the numeral wheels 44, 54 and 55 are at-zero. In this interlocking mechanism the side members of the frame 88 are fixed to the shaft 88, on the axis of which the frame swings. There is secured to the shaft 88 an arm 69, which is connected by a link 18 (see Figures 2, 6 and 12) to one of a'setof three fingers 1| of a sleeve 1| mounted on a fixed shaft or spindle '12 of the amount. When all the numeral wheels 44, 54 and 55 are at zero,

and not until then, the three fingers 1| drop into notches 13*- of the-respective plates 13 which rotate with the numeral wheels. If any one of the numeral wheels is not at zero the corresponding finger 1| would not drop into the notch and the swinging frame 88 would therefore be prevented from swinging far enough to engage the gear 88 with the gear 81. It is therefore impossible to set the gallon indicator unless all of the numeral wheels of the amount indicator have been reset to zero.

v It will be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement can be made to suit different conditions of use and that the invention, therefore, is not restricted to the particular construction shown and described, except as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In computing apparatus, the combination 5' of an indicating device, resetting means, transmitting means from the resetting means to said mitting means from the resetting means to said indicating device normally out of operative entating with the-numeral ,wheels, a shaft having fingers to enter the-notches of the notched plates gagement with said indicating device, a second indicating device comprising numeral wheels and including notched plates, the notched plates rowhen' all of the numeral wheels are in zero position. and means to prevent engagement of the transmitting means with the first named indicating device connected to an arm of said shaft and'holding the transmitting means out of operter the notches of the notched plates.

3. In computing apparatus, a pair of spaced, substantially parallel shafts, counting means invative engagement with the first named indicating device, except when the fingers of the shaft encluding corresponding wheels of lower and higher order operatively supported by said parallel shafts, a shaft interposed between said parallel shafts, mechanism operatively supported by said interposed shaft for effecting transfer and resetting movements of said wheels during ccu'nting and resetting operations respectively, said mechanism comprising transfer-means including av releasable connection interconnecting lower and higher order wheels on each of said parallel shafts for transmitting movement from the lower order wheel to the next higher order wheel as requiredduring a counting operation, said releasable connection permitting independent movement of said wheels during resetting operation, and resetting means for returning said wheels to zero position.

4. In computing apparatus, a pair of spaced,

- substantially parallel shafts, counting means including corresponding wheels of lower and higher order. operatively supported by said parallel.

shafts, a shaft interposed between said parallel shafts, means including a mutilated gear operatively supported by said interposed shaft and 0peratively connected to corresponding wheelsof lower order, a full-tooth gear operatively supported by said interposed shaft and p ratively connected to said corresponding wheels of higher order, transfer means includin a releasable connection interconnecting said mutilated and said full-tooth gears for transmitting movement from said lower order wheels to said higher order wheels during a counting operation, said releasable connection permitting independent movement of saidv wheels during resetting. operation, and means for resetting said wheels to zero.

5. In computing apparatus, a shaft, counting means including wheels of lower and higher order operatively supported by said shaft, a second shaft, a mutilated gear operatively supported by said second shaft and operatively connected to a wheel of lower order, a full-tooth gear operatively supported by said-second shaft and operatively. connected to a wheel of higher order, transfer means including a releasable connection interconnecting said mutiiated gear and said full tooth gear for transmitting movement from said lower order wheel to said higher order wheel during a counting operation, means for reversing the movement of said mutilated gear to'reset said lower order wheel to zero, and pick-up means associated with said mutilated gear adapted to pick up and reverse the movement of the full-tooth gear during a resetting operation to return said higher order wheel to zero position, and means operable to stop said wheels at zero position.

6. In computing apparatus, a shaft, counting means including wheels of lower and higher order operatively supported by said shaft, a second shaft, a transfer mechanism operatively supported on said second shaft, said transfer mechanism including an element operatively connected to a 'wheel of lower order and a second element operatively connected to a wheel of higher order, means providing a releasable connection interconnecting said elements for transmitting movement from said lower order wheel to said higher order wheel during a counting operation, means. for reversing the movement of said first-mentioned element to reset said lower order wheel to zero, and pick-up means associated with said first-mentioned element adapted to pick up and reverse the movement of the second-mentioned element during a resetting operation to return said higher order wheel to zero position, and means operable to stop said wheels at zero position. I

CHARLES "S. HAZARD. 

